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Arsanis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASNS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on applying monoclonal antibody immunotherapies to address serious infectious diseases, today announced that it has entered into an agreement under which BB200, LLC, a portfolio company of Bravos Biosciences, LLC, has secured an exclusive, worldwide preclinical development license, and an option to a clinical development and commercialization license to selected monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting K. pneumoniae that were discovered by Arsanis in its ASN300 program, including lead preclinical development candidate, ASN-5. In April 2018, Arsanis entered into a similar agreement for its ASN200 program, targeting E. coli, with Bravos Biosciences subsidiary BB100, LLC.

“Gram-negative bacteria are responsible for some of the most lethal and antibiotic-resistant hospital-acquired infections and we are excited that the expert team at Bravos Biosciences will continue to move these non-antibiotic monoclonal antibody programs forward,” said René Russo, chief executive officer of Arsanis. “With the successful out-licensing of antibodies from our ASN200 and ASN300 programs, we have completed our strategic goal of focusing our development pipeline while ensuring the potential advancement of these important gram-negative targeted mAbs under the leadership of a well-known expert team. This transaction allows Arsanis to focus on execution of our lead program, ASN100, currently in Phase 2 development for the prevention of S. aureus pneumonia in high-risk, mechanically ventilated patients, and on ASN500 for respiratory syncytial virus infection, slated to begin clinical development in 2019.”

Under the agreement, Arsanis has granted BB200 the exclusive right to conduct further preclinical development activities on licensed mAbs, with an option to enter into an exclusive global development and commercial license. Arsanis retains the rights to all other mAbs developed in the ASN300 program.